Scrappy Trips Around The World

I am just W-A-Y crazy over these Trips Around The World Blocks!! This is what we are making for our November BLOCK LOTTO. I made 9 blocks this time to enter in the drawing. These blocks were made using 2 1/2" strips I had saved up in my scrap bins. Your strips only need to be 16" long and your finished block with be 12". The pattern was taken from one of Bonnie Hunters tutorials on her QUILTVILLE website.

One of the main reasons I LOVE this block is it's versatility. You can get totally different quilt looks by just playing around and re-arranging your layouts as you can see in the different photos.

This is one of my favorite layouts along with the layout of the first photo I posted.

These blocks are VERY easy to make, but require a little more extra time than most blocks but I think they are WELL WORTH IT!!

I HOPE I WIN THIS MONTH!!!!!!!

Down Memory Lane with Bonnie Hunter

First quilts are always fun to see and to use as a comparison as to how far we have come. Some first quilts are comical and then some are quite grand and impressive. I think mine falls somewhere down towards the comical.

Bonnie Hunter over at Quiltville Blog has put up a link for anyone wanting to share their first quilts. She has a great post sharing about her first quilt!

Here is a photo of my first quilt (in the process of being finished). You can go HERE to read all about it. Finish photos also included!

Run over to Bonnie's blog and check out the other quilts......add your link too!

WHO CARES...!!!...???

I DON'T...!!!! It hit me the other day and I literally stopped in my tracks and actually said out loud "WHO CARES"???? Who cares how many Q.U.I.P.'s I have??? In laymen's terms that is Quilts In Progress!!

I just couldn't stop beating myself up every time I wanted to start or try out a new pattern I would come across. I continually scolded myself and pledged NOT start anything else UNTIL I finished EVERY project that was piling up!! NO NO NO I would tell myself.

Most of my Q.U.I.P.'s don't need a whole lot to be finished. Some I get bogged down on finding or having the right borders or backing fabric. Some just need to be "sandwiched". I have 2 right now that are sandwiched, basted and just need to be quilted. I am "hand quilting" on one right now that will be slow going. One quilt I am thinking about sending out to be quilted, but the "jury" is still out on that one, after all, I REALLY REALLY would like to do them all myself. BUT, as the Q.U.I.P.'s pile grows I may be forced to let someone else quilt some of them.....wah wah wah!!!

I've decided not to fret on it anymore!! I WILL eventually get them all done!!

The WINNER of my little guessing game in my previous post about HOW MANY of these Q.U.I.P's I have IS......JANET O......the VERY FIRST commenter!!!! My mouth dropped open to the floor when the very first commenter guessed the exact amount I have which if 22!!!! Ok.....there, I said it....22! Interestingly, it really didn't hurt that bad to say it out loud. After all, some of you who guessed fessed up to how many you have and several of you have W-A-Y more than me!! LOLOL

Way to go Janet, we'll get together on your mailing address so I can mail you YOUR PRIZE for being such a good guesser. WAY TO GO JANET from Rogue Quilter Blog.

SOOOOO.....WHO CARES??? RIGHT???? I am right...aren't I???

Leaders and Enders Flimsy Finish

YEP.......I've added another one to the PILE!!! I used Bonnie Hunter's Leader/Ender method to finally get this little flimsy created. It is her Basket-Weave-Strings quilt. I started this project way back HERE and I gave the instructions and a little tutorial on how I started it. This is a GREAT way to use up those pesky little strips and strings left over from other projects. I threw in a little bit of everything as I've shown in the following photos. I used a paper piece for my foundation and these blocks measure 5 inches.

This green strip is a LETTUCE print Mr. Brown Dirt bought me a Christmas or so ago. I did point it out to him that I was indeed using some of the fabric he gave me.

BUTTERFLIES outlined in some garish gold. The white with the blue design next to them is some cut up mens boxer shorts! Har har har!!!
OINK! OINK! Mr. Porky Pig jumped right in too!!!

I'm not sure how/where/when I ended up with this little tad of PINK FLAMINGO! Notice the AFTERNOON TEA selvedge in the upper right hand corner!

A-N-D these UGLY EASTER EGGS!!!!!

So SEE, this is an EXCELLENT way to get some OR ALL of those numerous and UGLY strips and strings out of your way!!! It's like getting a quilt for FREE!!!!! It was easy and mindless and I plan on doing another one or two. I could control the colors in the next one....Maybe RED WHITE and BLUE!!!

As I mentioned in the beginning about adding to the PILE, yes, I went through and rounded up ALL my Q.U.I.P.S......that's Quilts In Progress. I was amazed when I discovered how many I had. I should be ashamed!!! Do you care to make a guess as to how many I have PILED in the closet???? There might be a little prize if you guess it right!!

COTTON HARVEST is in full swing. Mr. Brown Dirt is already anxious for it to be over and I think he'll get his wish. Last year we harvested around 1800 bales of cotton and this year with the drought we will harvest only around 500 to 700 bales. Quite a difference indeed, but never fear, we always have CROP INSURANCE. Read about how we HARVEST right HERE.

Just to keep you informed.....COTTON PRICES are around $ 1.00 a pound right now. Mr. Brown Dirt says it will probable fall some before the year end. I WONDER if those FABRIC PRICES will fall some this year too???????????